Where There Is Love

Where there is love, there is satisfaction. That means all needs and wants are met. Just as water flowing into a deep pool fills every crack of its bed. It will first fill the most hidden and invisible crannies. As the water continues to collect, the pool fills more and more until the surface tension breaks, and it overflows in all directions.

Where there is love, there is joy. That means there is no sorrow. Just as flowers bloom and burst with fragrance, their sweet and subtle scents lingering in the air. The breeze only helps spread the perfume further afield rather than blowing it away.

Love can heal our pains. Vexations and worries constantly batter our hearts which are full of bloody wounds and scars. Only love can heal these. Only love can restore our broken hearts.

Love is empowering. When we recover from an illness, we restore our inner strength. Where there is love in our hearts, we experience a similar kind of vitality, enabling us to shoulder greater responsibility.

Where there is love, there is peace. That means no danger, fear or enemies. Enemies make us feel tense, no matter how strong we are. However, when there are no enemies, we feel safe and calm, no matter how meek we are. In love there are no enemies, so we are safe.

Light shines effortlessly through the darkness, just as love can defuse conflicts without force or strain.

Where there is love, there are no troubles because love heals the sores of vexation.

Love is purifying, as it can eradicate countless eons of our karmic offenses. It cleanses our minds as it erases all of our accumulated filth – filth that none of the virtues of meditative and non-meditative practices can remove. However, we only need to dip it in Amitabha’s Dharma water of love, which will dissolve all our karmic dirt and purify us.

Founded in 1995 in Vancouver and based in Hong Kong since 2006, BDG is a multimedia platform providing English-language content on Buddhist teachings, arts, and culture. We accomplish this through features, commentary, and news on the BDG website, as well as publications and other channels.